Top DUP man breaks ranks over renewable heat scandal

Bell: People tell me that if you step out, if you step outside of the box, if you put your head above the parapet, it will be shot off

Do you think I can sit back and not tell the truth? Not when God’s told me to tell the truth

A senior member of the DUP has spoken out over the handling of the botched and costly Renewable Heat Incentive scheme (RHI) – and has indicated that his political career could now be at an end as a result.

The Nolan Show has said on Thursday morning that Jonathan Bell, DUP MLA for Strangford and former minister, has given an interview to the BBC in which he reveals the “truth” of what he knows of the colossal cash-wasting blunder.

The full contents of the interview is set to be broadcast tonight.

However, in a preview clip this morning, Mr Bell said speaking out was “one of the most difficult things I’ve had to do in my life”.

He suggested that it was a possibility that he could be “ruined” as a result.

However, he said he felt compelled to help “shine a light” on the scandal.

“People tell me that if you step out, if you step outside of the box, if you put your head above the parapet, it will be shot off,” he said.

“I believe God doesn’t punish people for telling the truth. So let’s see how it plays out.”

He added: “It’ll not be easy.

Mr Bell spoke out on The Nolan Show. His full remarks will be broadcast later.

“But my wife told me this morning – Jonathan, tell the truth...

“Because hospitals in Northern Ireland will not be built.

“There’s a ward in the Ulster Hospital, the Maynard Ward, is closed.

“Do you think I can sit back and not tell the truth? Not when God’s told me to tell the truth.”

The clip revealed that he had tears in his eyes at the time of the interview – which the Nolan Show describes as a “blockbuster” – and that he had prayed before conducting it.

Its full contents, including whatever revelations he has about the scheme, will be broadcast on BBC1 at 10.40pm this evening.

The RHI scheme essentially paid people to use renewable heating systems, offering a subsidy for generating heat by burning wood pellets, for example.

However, a report into the running of the RHI earlier this year outlined how one farmer is allegedly in line to receive £1m of public money over the next 20 years for heating an empty shed, due to failures to control the how money was handed out.

Unlike in the rest of the UK, no cap or payment tier system was placed on the money that could be claimed in proportion to the size of boiler in Northern Ireland.

In effect, that enabled a business to use unnecessary heat just to make money.

It is thought that overspending on the scheme will run into hundreds of millions of pounds.